USA > Illinois > Biographical and memorial edition of the Historical encyclopedia of Illinois > Part 45
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Like many of the big men among whom he was wont to mingle through life, Mr. Dumais was a product of the farm. A Canadian by birth, he was but seven years of age when he was brought by his parents to the United
States, his natal day having been February 13, 151. He was an earnest scholar in the dis- triet schools in the vicinity of St. Anne, where his father, an agriculturist, had settled, and like the other lads of his time divided his boy- hood days between the work of the homestead and the securing of knowledge which his par- ents allowed during the short winter terms. As a boy he displayed a remarkable fondness for horses. It was noticed by his father that the most vicious animal would answer to his call. and the elder man at first, as he thought, humored the lad, and then encouraged, and the boy, growing into a man, became inordinately fond of horses, and this pointed the way for his first business venture.
Upon leaving home Mr. Dumais secured a position at Lafayette, Ind., as a coachman, and for fourteen years served in that capacity for President Earl, of the Big Four Railroad. lle had ever been thrifty, enterprising and am- bitious, and during the time that he acted in the office of coachman for this railroad official he found means of increasing his small capital by loaning his savings out at interest. This was always done with an object in view-that of becoming his own master, and finally his
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ambition was realized when he became the pro- prietor of his own business at St. Anne, Ill. He had the requisites of a successful business man, his experience had taught him much ; his inherent business sense gave him something that he did not need to learn; his ambition fur- nished him with the incentive, and his energetie nature made him a foe to be reckoned with by the men whom he met in the line of his business. From the start his venture was a success, and, now that he has passed, there are none who may truthfully say that he ever took unfair advantage of any man. The only enemy which he failed to defeat was ill health, which forced him to retire in October, 1911. He bravely and courageously fought his disease
until February 7, 1913, when he passed quietly away. A Catholic by birth and training, he died in that faith, and was laid to rest in the cemetery of that denomination.
On August 24, 1896, Mr. Dumais was mar- ried to Miss Sarah Marans, who was born on a farm four miles southwest of St. Anne, Ill., daughter of Joseph and Bridget (Smith) Marans. Mrs. Dumais' father is still living on his farm, being sixty-six years of age. He is a veteran of the Civil war, during which he served as a private in the Union army. Mrs. Marans died in 1903. Two children were born to Mr. and Mrs. Dumais: Dora Mary and Earl Anthony, who reside with their mother in the pleasant home at St. Anne.
JOSEPH KEENE.
The remarkable success which crowned the efforts of the late Joseph Keene, of Chicago, clearly and emphatically evidenced the business skill, acumen and judgment of this individual. who spent the major portion of his life in the Illinois metropolis. This is a utilitarian age, one in which advancement and progress come not by might and the sword, as in the past. but by activity in the commercial and industrial interests of life. There is nothing to which America owes her pre-eminence among the na- tions of the earth so much as to her inventions. These have far surpassed those of other lands and her labors have revolutionized the trade of all civilized nations. Each year sees addi- tions to America's list of inventions, labor sav- ing devices which bear marked impress on the world of trade. It was not as inventor, but as promoter of inventions, that Mr. Keene was known. He had the foresight to see the possi- bilities of certain appliances and the courage to back his judgment with his means, and this confidence and self-reliance combined to make for him a place among Chicago's leading busi- ness men at a time when the fierce competition of the growing metropolis tested the abilities of all. Ilis record is eminently deserving in a work of this nature, for his life was one of signal usefulness and helpfulness.
Mr. Keene was a native of London, England, and was born March 5, 1549. His parents, James and Mary ( Hope) Keene, were also natives of England, and emigrated from that country to the United States, settling in Chicago in 1503, when the son was fourteen years of age. Im- bued with the peculiar tenacity characteristic
of the English race and a determination to make life a success, while yet in his junior years Joseph Keene apprenticed himself to Sinclair Brothers, one of the pioneer tinware and hard- ware firms of Chicago, to learn the tinner's trade. By reason of his industry and frugality, his close application and the thoroughness which he manifested in mastering the business, he was soon able to enter that field of trade on his own account. In 1871 he embarked in the same line of business, and in 1875, in company with his brother, George Keene, he established the firm of Keene Brothers, opening a hardware store on South Clark street, between Polk and Harrison. He had just started nicely in busi- ness when the city was devastated by the great tire, which fortunately spared the buildings in the vicinity of his store, and he was one of the few merchants whose property escaped that memorable conflagration. For more than twenty years the firm of Keene Brothers occupied a prominent position in the hardware trade of the city. About 1903. Joseph Keene retired from the business, to which for a number of years he had given only a portion of his atten- tion, owing to his other interests in the manu- facturing business, which had become extensive.
About 1$$3 Mr. Keene was called upon by a Mr. Housely, who had invented a spring hinge and who had vainly sought to interest capital in the manufacture of the device. This article was something new, but did not seem safe for an investment, the idea being that it did not seem to have sufficient value to justify the expenditure necessary for its production. However, Mr. Keene was a natural me-
Joseph Keene
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chanic, and of an inventive turn of mind. He was favorably impressed with the utility of this new appliance and from the first not only firmly believed in its practicability but its sala- ble qualities as well. At this time in his career the hardware business of Keene Brothers had become extensive, and for him to give atten- tion to a manufacturing business could not be otherwise than at a sacrifice to his mercantile interests. At least this was what his friends and advisors thought, and who so expressed themselves. Joseph Keene was not a man of hasty judgment, neither was he a man who Jacked the courage of his convictions. He thought he saw great commercial value in the new hinge and was not afraid to back his judg- ment with means at his command. The wisdom of his course was reflected in the great success that he met with subsequently. In 1883, Mr. Keene founded the Chicago Spring Butt Com- pany, an industry the history of which during the first quarter of a century of its existence is practically a history of that gentleman for the same period. He was its executive head and its manager and gave to it his great busi- ness energy and capacity. This business at its inception had its difficulties. It was manufac- turing an article that was considered a distinct luxury and the trade was loath to accept it, conditions that will bring out and severely test business acumen and managerial ability. Mr. Keene was the first to manufacture and the first to produce spring hinges in Chicago, and the growth and development of this industry has been remarkgble. The product of the Chi- cago Spring Butt Company, which has come to Include builders' hardware, now reaches the markets of the world and ranks among the city's substantial industries. After its incor- poration, Mr. Keene became the secretary and treasurer, a relation that he sustained until the time of his demise. He became well known during his long connection with mercantile and manufacturing interests and was widely recog- nized as a business man of the strictest in- tegrity, leaving to his family an honorable and honored name and a handsome competence as the direct result of his earnest labors.
Mr. Keene's death followed several years of impaired health and was no doubt hastened by too close application to Imisiness. A previous illness had been followed by seeming recovery and he returned to business, as his great natural energy rebelled at the retirement that was ad- vised. He was working for an inherent love
of it and not for accumulation. He liked busi- ness and greatly regretted any forced retire- ment from its cares and responsibilities. In manner he was very retiring and cared little for club life or social or fraternal organiza- tions. Ilis greatest pleasure was to be with his family in his own home, yet he always held friendship inviolable and greatly appreciated the companionship of persons of kindred inter- ests and ideas. He was a most devoted husband and his constant aim seemed to be to contribute to his wife's pleasures and happiness, while in her he found a reciprocal attitude, a natural inclination prompting a similar devotion to her husband's welfare, all of which displayed a marked congeniality of tastes and interests and of kindred natures. Mr. Keene had begun life on his own resources. His energy and ambi- ·tion were his capital and his success did not cause him to forget those who had been less fortunate. He gave liberally to charity, in a systematic manner, and prompted by a genuine kindness of heart, always in a quiet, unosten- tatious way known only to the recipients. For many years he was a member of the Art Instt- tute of Chicago, in the affairs of which he took an active interest. Ile represented the highest type of citizenship, advocating as advanced a standpoint of municipal and national honor as he did of personal integrity.
Mr. Keene was married June 14, 1879, to Miss Rosa A. Burgett, daughter of William H. and Eliza C. (Young) Burgett, of Saugerties, N. Y., and by this union he became the father of one son, William James Keene, born October 5, 1850, Mrs. Keene maintains her home at No. 0601 Harvard avenne, Chicago, and is well known on the South Side. She takes an active and helpful part in social and charitable work and is a woman of refinement. Her friends are many and they entertain for her the deepest regard. The death of Mr. Keene, which oc- curred March 4, 1908, removed from Chicago one of its most worthy and upright citizens. Following in the footsteps of his father, among the young men who in the last few years have utilized the opportunities offered in Chicago for business progress and attained thereby nota- ble success, is William James Keene. president of the Chicago Spring Butt Company. Ile re- ceived his education at the Armour Institute of Technology and in the Cascadilla School of Ithaca. N. Y., supplemented by a course in civil engineering in Cornell University, from which he was graduated in 1901. During his college
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course he spent some time in studying applica- tion to detail of his present occupation. After leaving the university, he immediately entered the business of which he is now president. He is a member of the Illinois Manufacturers' As- sociation, and the Association of National Man- ufacturers, while fraternally he belongs to the
Chi Phi and the Cornell Alumni Association, and also holds membership in the South Shore Country and Union League clubs. He was mar- ried December 18, 1906, to Miss Lillian G. Noble, of Chicago, and they have one daughter-Doro- thea Noble.
JOHN STANISLAUS COOKE.
A long and useful life filled with deeds of successful accomplishment, and crowned with the friendship and appreciation of those with whom he was associated, does not come to every man, even when he has put forth every effort to bring about such results. Especially is it difficult to make a lasting name for one's self in a city of the size of Chicago, for here there are so many laboring towards such an end. backed by wealth and influence. In the case of the late John Stanislaus Cooke, his successful business career was carried on through his own efforts for he was a man of limited means when he began his life at Chicago. However, he was one who knew how to take advantage of every opportunity, and to bring up to a high standard of excellence those with whom he was associated. Born at Mitchellstown, County Cork, Ireland, January 6. 1836, he was a son of John and Mary (Clancy) Cooke, both natives of Fermoy, Ireland, where the father owned a large tract of land. He and his family fol- lowed John S. Cooke to the United States. com- ing here in 1864, and he died at Chicago in the early eighties.
When he was seventeen years old, John S. Cooke, being an ambitious lad. sought wider fields in which to carry on his operations, and came across the ocean to the United States, taking two months to make the trip. Like so many of his countrymen, he did not scorn what- ever came to hand, and spent some time work- ing in a bakery at New York City, but in 1856 arrived at Chicago, which was to be the scene of his future endeavors. He was first con- nected with the Keeley Brewing Company, but later entered the wholesale liquor house of Schwab & McQuade, and following the Chicago fire, was made a member of the firm. Soon thereafter. the original partners dropped out. and it became Manheimer & Cooke, with pren- ises at No. 108 Randolph street. After five
years of this association, Mr. Cooke sold, and established the Cooke Brewing Company, with a large plant at Chicago, Mr. Cooke, Dr. J. B. Murphy and Mr. Plamondon being the principal stockholders. Later, members of the Cooke fam- ily bought the stock, and Mr. Cooke was con- nected with its active operation until his death on March 12, 1899, he passing away on that date of heart trouble at Chicago. He was interred at Calvary.
Mr. Cooke was married February 9, 1864, to Miss Charlotte Penrose Rowland, of Rochester, N. Y., a daughter of Daniel and Charlotte (Pen- rose) Rowland, natives of Saratoga, N. Y., and County Cork, respectively. Mr. Rowland was a farmer and also conducted a country store busi- ness. Mrs. Cooke was the eldest of the follow- ing children : Charlotte H., Celia, Ruth, Delia, Robert, George M., Anna, and Daniel. Mr. and Mrs. Cooke became the parents of the following children : Charles, who resides in Virginia ; Mary, who is deceased ; George J., who has re- established the Cooke Brewing Company on the west side ; John R., who is deceased ; and Char- lotte Irene, who is deceased.
In addition to his other interests, Mr. Cooke was president and treasurer of the Ara Glen Company and a controlling factor in other cor- porations. His club affiliations were with the Trish-American and Sheridan. In politics, he was a Democrat, and at one time ran for county treasurer. A stanch Roman Catholic. he belonged to St. James parish, and was a faithful worker in it. A man of broad sym- pathies, he made and retained many friends. and when death claimed him, his community lost a public-spirited citizen. At the time of his funeral all business was closed the full length of Michigan avenue to Rush street bridge for two hours.
Mr. Cooke was a home man and therein he found his greatest happiness.
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CHARLES CHAXEL.
While the world will always acknowledge a debt of gratitude to those whose musical ability and love of harmony have delighted the ages in song and composition, not everyone appre- ciates the service rendered by those who keep in perfect tune the instruments from which music is produced. In order to be a successful tuner of musical instruments, a man must pos- sess an accurate ear, a perfect knowledge of harmony and a love for his work that carries him beyond its mechanical contines into the realins of music. These qualities were pros- sessed in marked degree by the late Charles Chaxel, known all over Will County as a mu- sician and piano tuner, whose last years were profitably and pleasantly spent at Joliet. He was born in the dukedom of Baden. Germany, in the town Herbolzheim, near the French bor- der, October 18, 1849, and not only inherited his love of music from his German parents, bat came to some extent under the artistic influ- ences of the French people just across the bor- der. His father, Joseph Chaxel, never left his native land, but died in Baden.
After a boyhood spent in attendance on the grammar school, and the study of music, Charles Chaxel, when fourteen years old was sent to Switzerland to learn piano and organ building, and spent six years learning that trade. With the thoroughness of old world people, he was given instruction in every part of the work, so that he became an expert piano and organ builder, and might have become a success along this line, had he not been at- tracted towards the new world to which he came with the enthusiasm of twenty years. After six months' work at his trade at Chicago, whither his sisters had already come, however. he left that city for Will County, and for twelve years he lived at Lockport, being engaged
in piano tuning and selling pianos. In 1882, he came to Jolier, where the remainder of his use- ful life was spent, he dying there, October 3, 1003. Not only did he enjoy a liberal patron- age from the most talented musical people of Joliet and Wil County, but he was the asso- ciate of the leading musicians of this section, and often delighted audiences with his own ski !!.
While living at Lockport, Mr. Chaxel was married (first) to Miss Marie Baumgarten, who died in that city, leaving two children : Ella Marie, who is now the wife of W. Müller of Chicago; and Mary Pauline, who died in in- fancy. Before he left Lockport, Mr. Chaxel was married (second) to Miss Matie J. Beck, a daughter of William and Frances ( Kittinger) Beck. Mrs. Chaxel's family brought her to Will County during the latter part of the seven- ties. A lover of nature, Mr. Chaxel bought five acres of land just west of Joliet on Western avenue, upon which he erected a handsome resi- dence where his widow still lives. She has sold one acre of the property, but the other four remain, forming beautiful surroundings to her home. Fraternally Mr. Chaxel belonged to the Knights of Pythias and was beloved in it, as he was by so many who appreciated his kindly sympathetic, artistic nature. In political belief he was a Republican, but he was not a man who could become interested in politics. While reared a Catholic, he later became a Christian Scientist, and died firm in that faith. His was a beautiful nature, fully attuned with the higher ideals of life. Carrying out his ideas in his simple, friendly way, he avoided the inhar- monies of petty bickerings, and in living up to his faith, he carried others with him into a broader, wider comprehension of the eternal melodies of creation.
GEORGE BESORE.
Of kind and generous impulses, honest, indus- trions, accurate and sagacious in business, trust- worthy in all the responsibilities of life, the late George Besore measured up to the full standard of a dependable man and citizen. For thirty-four years he was identified with the business life and to some extent with the public affairs of Urbana, Ill., and in the carrying ou of his business undertakings and in the per- formance of civic duties, he became well and
widely known. George Besore was born near Waynesboro, Franklin County, Pa., December 20, 1832, and was a son of John and Mary (Mowen) Besore, a grandson of John Besore and a great-grandson of Daniel Besore. It is supposed that Daniel Besore moved from Lan- caster County or Lebanon County, Pa., to Frank- lin County. He married. had four daughters. Mrs. Adams, Mrs. Sprecher, Mrs. Kromer and Mrs. Mowen, and two sons, David and John.
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John Besore, born in 1700 or 1761, was married to Elizabeth Gearhart, resided on his father's homestead and they had three sons and five daughters: Jacob, Daniel and John, Mrs. George Mowen, Mrs. Daniel Crouse, Mrs. Jacob Weyant, Mrs. Jacob Finefrock and Mrs. David Winkfield.
John Besore, son of John and grandson of Daniel Besore, was born March 10, 1801, after marriage moved to Waynesboro, Pa., and then to Maryland, but died in Waynesboro, March 8, 1855. He married Mary Mowen and the following children were born to them: Jacob M., born August 11, 1831, died at Burdette, Kans., in 1807; George; Joseph Mowen, born September 14, 1834, died February 25, 159S, near Urbana, Ill .; Elizabeth Katherine ( His- song), born September 19, 1836, died July 1, 1903, at Belvidere, Neb .; John Franklin, born July 11, 183S, died August 4, 1913, near Sadorus, Ill .; Barbara Ann, born November 12, 1841, died February 14, 1812; Margaret Ann (Phe- nicie), born April 25, 1843, died May 21, 1910; David B., born January 26, 1845, resides near Savoy, Ill .; Samuel, born March 5, 1848, died December 22, 1899, at St. Joseph, Ill .; Charles Alfred, born April 25, 1850, died January 17, 1904, at Urbana, Ill .; and Mary Ann E. (Tomp- kins), born September 3, 1552, resides at Frank- fort, Ind.
The Besore family is of French extraction and belonged to the Huguenots who were ban- ished from France at the revocation of the Edict of Nantes. They Hled to Switzerland, where the early family records were preserved under the name of La Bassiseur. This name later was shortened to Boshaar, and when the representatives of this family took ship for America, the English captain placed the name on the ship's books, Bayshore, evidently think- ing it came in derivation from the shore of a bay. Closely allied with this name are the Bisers of Maryland, and the modern German name of Beisser. After landing the immigrants wrote their name Bayshore, still later changed it to Basore and finally the present orthography was adopted.
George Besore secured his educational train- ing in the public schools of Franklin County. Pa., and Washington County, Md., and assisted his father on the home farm until he was eighteen years of age. At that time he turned his attention to erecting barns and in time be- came a skilled carpenter and followed this trade for several years. He was to some degree a
natural mechanic, ready with tools, and for the next three years worked as a millwright. In 1856 he came to Illinois, spending the first two years at Paris and the second two at Decatur, in both towns engaging in contracting. From 1862 until 1865 he was employed as a mill- wright at Fort Wayne, Ind., and, not neglecting any opportunity for advancement, took a regu- lar course in a business college while there. In 1566 he came to Urbana and this city con- tinued to be his home during the rest of his life, a period of great activity and usefulness. For some time after coming to Champaign County, Mr. Besore engaged in contracting, but in 1875 somewhat centered his interests and purchased the lumber yards of Webster & Da- vies, which were the largest and best equipped of any in the state outside of Chicago. Al- though his youngest brother, Charles Besore, at that time was but a boy, he took the lad into partnership and not only gave him a business training but in many ways acted as a parent. In addition to his lumber operations Mr. Besore dealt extensively in grain and in both lines met with deserved success and in 1595 disposed of his interests to his brother and retired from active business, although he continued to keep up his interest in many directions as long as he lived. He was quiet and unostentatious in his bearing and there never was a time when he did not welcome the day's cessation of activ- ity so that he could retire to his own home where, surrounded by peace and quiet and dow- ered with family affection, he contentedly spent the greater number of his evenings. While not a politician, he was deeply interested in the success of the Democratic party and elected on that ticket served three times as a member of the Urbana City Council. Never seeking undue prominence, yet cheerfully accepting public re- spousibilities, he served acceptably in positions of public importance and was foremost in pro- moting local enterprises for the publle welfare like the public library, of which he was a director for more than ten years. He was vice- president and one of the directors of the Citi- zens' Loan Association and for over a decade was one of the trustees of the Presbyterian church. In Masonry he belonged to Urbana Lodge No. 157, A. F. & A. M .; Urbana Chapter No. 50, R. A. M .; Urbana Commandery No. 16, K. T., and Hope Chapter No. 104, O. E. S., and for years served as treasurer of these bodies. On December 15, 1870, Mr. Besore was mar- ried to Miss Emma Julia Denton, daughter of
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